Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

“I’m out front so I don’t hear a lot of the music, but when I’m sitting there and a song picks up, I’ll usually sneak in and take a look,” says Kimberly Anton, who owns the Bradfordville Blues Club with her husband Gary.

Anton is often the first face you meet when you approach the front door before entering the bustling club on Friday and Saturday nights. These days, the club sits quiet. Anton says they won’t open their doors until it is safe to do so.

“If we make one person happy by putting the music online or having these live streaming shows then that’s wonderful,” says Anton, who says listeners can hear past performances as well as live interviews with different bands. “That’s important right now, even if it puts a smile on your face or warms your heart for one second.”

Anton grew up on a steady stream of classic rock and roll and doo-wop. When she met her husband, she discovered the blues and fell in love with its range of gospel, R&B and jazz sounds. The couple has lived in Tallahassee for 45 years and first started going out to the BBC when it was run by Dave Claytor and known as Dave's C.C.

In 2002, he bequeathed the club to the Antons. She says they have worked to preserve the history and music of the family-friendly juke joint. Anton is grateful for friends they have gained along the way.

“Everybody that comes in the door, we try to make them feel like family,” says Anton. “My reward is making everyone happy.”

Anton writes thank you notes to every patron who purchases a ticket. A few years ago she started sending out birthday cards over social media to brighten up fans’ days. Most of all, she loves to listen.

Anton sits in the back room with the band as they talk about everything — from road adventures to heartwarming family tales.

She most enjoyed hearing about musician Johnny Marshall’s European tours. She says Marshall would often mention the film “Cadillac Records,” and recount what parts were true and which events he was there to witness firsthand.

Other times, Anton says stories come to her as she sits outside to welcome patrons.

“Sometimes people come out to the venue to get away and just need to talk,” says Anton. “If they’re not smiling, by the end of the night I try to get them to smile.”

During quarantine, Anton has been listening and talking with people online, and is trying to keep busy on walks around her neighborhood. The current health crisis reminds her of the AIDS and MRSA epidemics that were a part of her 28-year career as a nurse and during her time at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. She empathizes with the health care professionals who are facing the unknowns every day.

“TMH had one of the first AIDS patients, and it was scary because you had to be careful,” says Anton. “I can’t even imagine what they are going through right now.”

Her thoughts are often on the BBC staff as well. The club is waiting for small business relief so that they can pay their workers. She says the BBC community remains alive, even without the venue.

Anton enjoys watching the livestreams as she sees the “heart” and “thumbs up” reactions float across the screen. Fans interact with their favorite artists one-on-one with nearly 100 tuned in on any given Saturday.

“Livestreaming is so important because it gives them a moment to get away from the world and focus on the music and an entertainer that they love,” says Anton. “It puts the pandemic on the back burner for a while. The bands love doing it and are doing it for the people.”

Many bands that perform at the BBC will play songs to honor the couple that keeps the venue alive — particularly the Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You.".

She says she used to dance with her husband regularly when they first started going to the club, often staying until the third set when only a few people lingered. Always laughing, they kept dancing.

“Music fills your heart when you listen to your favorite song and just smile,” says Anton. “That’s what people need right now.”